If you’re a perennial pack rat, cleaning out your closet might generate as much excitement as a 24-hour C-Span marathon.
But even if you eagerly anticipate "editing" your wardrobe each time the seasons change, tidying your drawers, racks and bins can seem like an overwhelming task.
We consulted some organizational pros, and here are the expert tips they offer to ease closet clutter:
FIRST TASK: CLEAR IT OUT
Before you organize anything, remove everything from the closet so that you can dust, vacuum and organize. Then, purge, purge, purge. Be ruthless. Ask yourself, "Am I willing to touch this every morning" If the answer isn’t "yes," toss it. If you haven’t worn it or used it a year, toss it. If it doesn’t fit, toss it, even if you think it might fit again later.
TRIM THE FAT
If you need to, enlist the help of a trusted friend. Try on your clothes for them and get rid of anything they don’t deem flattering.
In addition, every time you change clothes for the season, take some time to go through and get rid of items you no longer wear.
Once you’ve pared down your wardrobe, put clothes back in the closet by type: hang shirts and blouses together, skirts together and pants and slacks together.
Some organizers even recommend grouping within the grouping by placing sleeveless shirts together, short sleeves together, long sleeves together, and arranging them in color order.
Or organize based on when you wear clothes: Put work outfits together, weekend outfits together, dress outfits together.
ADDITIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL TIPS
Place the clothes that you wear most often at the front of the closet.
Don’t leave empty hangers in the middle of clothes. Designate a spot in the closet and hang them together. This keeps them from taking up space and snagging on garments.
Make sure everything in your closet has a home. If you’re having trouble finding a place for something, chuck it. It doesn’t mean that much to you.
TOOLS TO USE
To keep closets from promptly spiraling into utter chaos, everything must have a proper place, experts say. They’ve recommended a handful of goods that will maximize space and keep items orderly.
Elfa storage drawers from the Container Store (or a similar product from Wal-Mart or Target) come highly recommended by professional organizers for shoes, purses, sweaters or odds and ends. Drawers start at $11 each and frames at $36 at the Container Store.
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